Snakes and human beings

  Abdul Wakil Shinwari

 Translated into English by: S.M. Karimi

Calamities after calamities were hitting our village. Floods, which destroyed fertile agricultural plots. Huge hails damaged all kind of crops of wheat, corn, barley, fruits and seed plants. Storms and strong winds ruined leaves and petals of fruit trees. Beside all these sometime drought would prevail. People couldn’t reap their crops, because it didn’t have any seeds. Cattle would graze in crop fields. There were all nothing in comparison to deadly damages of locusts. When locusts invaded the crops, nothing left in fields. Sometimes the weather became so hot, that many had heat strokes. On the contrary, winter would be so cold that people would almost die of cold. One couldn’t get warm with many clothes. Besides, this, wild carnivorous animals like tigers, lions, bears, and many other came down to the village and attacked people. Everyday, there was some one killed in the fields by these wild animals. People themselves were divided and disunited. There was more hatred, then love against each other. There was enmity house to house. Everyone seemed angry with wrinkled forehead. Some times there were earthquakes destroying houses with people crushed underneath it. In short, it was a strange sorrow and a devastating calamity fallen on this village. Everyone said strange things about this weird happening.

            Someone would say; the village is full of sins. Others said; the villagers have no mercy. Their hearts are blackened. Some people said: A good saint is angry with our village and has condemned our village. People said all kinds of gossips. But no one knew the real cause. Only God knew the real cause. As no one knew about this calamity; no one knew as how to get rescued from these calamities. As I narrated the story of my village was facing all types of calamities in past years. Recently, people told a strange story about the orchard of our village. Here, beside the wild animals in the village, the orchard was occupied by snakes. Every tree had a snake or tow underneath it. You thought every snake was sentry for the tree.

            The orchard didn’t belong to any particular person. It was the property of the whole village. It belonged to everyone. The orchard was full of variety of trees. There were fruit trees and ornamental trees in the orchard. During summer old and young people like were gathered under the trees in the shadow. They were all chatting and enjoying the cool shadow of the trees. But nowadays interring the orchard was suicide. Our villagers were strange people, even now, some of them went into the orchard to eat some fruits. And when the weather was hot, they would sit under the shadows of the big trees, ignoring the snakes, but scared and fearful. People didn’t sleep with assurance like in the past. They didn’t climb trees for collecting the fruit. Because they feared snakes. Trees of the orchard were drying down. Many trees had dried. Ponds and pools were dry too. Tree leaves were falling. Some fruitless trees were still standing here and there in the orchard. The village folk were very fond of the orchard. They didn’t forget the old splendor of the orchard. They were hypnotized about going into the orchard. Everynow and then some people would go into the orchard for sightseeing. Unfortunately three-four people were killed everyday either by snakes’ bites or animal attacks. Among these people there was a young man, who was very fond of the orchard. He never got fid up with the orchard. The strange thing is that the snakes were very angry with him then anyone else. Every time, he went into the orchard, the snakes will make a hissing sound at him. But this brave young man would go into the middle of the snakes and say his prayer. Then he would start drawing pictures of the snakes. He would find out about the snakebite cases. He would inform the villagers about the dead people. He was an amazing young man. He used to go into the middle of snake’s colony. But he always warned others to keep away from the snakes. He would say:(snakes are snakes) keep away from them. He felt this danger himself too. Yet he was there all the time in the orchard. People said all sorts of things about him.

Some said: he is a snake master.

Other said: He is a hypnotizer. He is trying to hypnotize snakes to save people from snakebites.

            Some one said: he comes to the orchard to provoke villagers and make them come to the orchard to kill the snakes. Other would add: “ he draws good pictures. Then, he sells those pictures to the marchants. He draws these snakes and fantastic orchard, to tell others about it.

            Many young and old had gathered in the village yard. They were chatting about the old times of the village and of the orchard. Suddenly a middle-aged man who looked very sad came and started talking about the young man.

            The snakes are attacking him from all around. His spell over the snakes is not effective. By hearing this message everyone was very sad and astonished. From the gathering, an old man replied: I had dreamed it long time ago. An other person said something in confirmation.

            I’ve never heard of friendship between men and snakes. He hadn’t finished yet, when another one said:

            Snakes were always aggressive against any man. He just survived up to this time by shear luck. Snakes bite any snake handler. Even now those who walk around in the orchard, they are careful. Otherwise they will be poisoned by snakes bite. No one will go into the midst of snakes. Another one said in assurance:

            It is true that no one can escape from snakes. He lived just by the grace of God. An old man said: let’s go all villagers to the orchard and try to save him.

            But another old man said in opposition: what are you trying to say? If the village folk could do some thing, they would have done it long ago. Another one interrupted in confirmation of the old man.

            The village is not that weak, that you think. The actual point is some where else. The problem is the disunity and division of the people. A young man who seemed sad and retreated reported to the village gathering, thus interrupted the other man who was talking.

           The poor man has been killed. Exactly 30 bites. He is beyond recognition. This was like a bomb to fall on the people. Everyone was surprised to hear that, and silence prevailed.

            A young man broke the silence by saying: Whom are you talking about? Are you talking about the man who entered the orchard with a flute and drew snakes? The one who used to talk about snakes and their hissing sounds!

All answered in one voice: Yes that is the one.

An old man asked: What was his name? Some one answered quickly:

Some called him Mirwais and some called him Jalil.

            With hearing this, everyone bowed in respect. One old man broke the silence again: I’ve never heard of friendship of men and snakes. He sighed and raised his hands in prayer. Other people did so, and all prayed for him and said. May his soul rest in peace. All moved towards the graveyard for his burial.